Ode to Joy
by worrywart
Summary: My submission for round four of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Severus recalls a few moments of his life and realizes just how much joy he now has. Post war. SSHG. Fluffy!


A/N: This is my entry for round four of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. I had to write a story about 'happiness', yet without using the actual word. I need to include the word 'skip' and the word 'burst'.

Here we go!

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After the war and his recovery, Severus Snape had learned to enjoy his summers. Not because he was away from the dunderheads he taught, not because he no longer was subject to the machinations of two crazy wizards, but because of what he was looking at out of the study window on this lazy, warm summer evening.

Two witches were at play. Hermione, her curly brown hair plaited so that it would not snarl in the wind, was playing with their small daughter, Annie. Annie's curls were midnight black and had yet to grow long enough to snarl, but long enough that they needed to be secured away from her eyes with clips.

Severus watched his wife and daughter, and the lights of his life who made each day worth living. He chuckled as at their antics; Annie ran—well, toddled—quickly on her fat little legs around a tree with Hermione slowly pursuing her. Annie loved to play tag and would pester both them until they took her outdoors to play. Now that the weather was warmer, she played outdoors five or six hours a day.

Their home was not far from Hogsmeade, and Hermione made a point to keep Annie occupied with all sorts of games, little picnic trips to the outlying areas to show her all the wonders of nature (stopping first at the shops to purchase sandwiches and treats for pudding), and of course, reading. When Annie ran out of steam, Hermione would conjure a blanket and pillows, then magic an umbrella to shade them. She would then pull a book out of her ever-present beaded bag, and settle down to read to her until she fell asleep. More often than not, Severus would find both of them sleeping as the breeze blew bits of their hair around their faces. He was always loath to wake them; they were so beautiful lying there.

No sight on earth brought him more joy than the pair of them, and it was this joy that made him glance at the notes he was transcribing about his latest research and cast them aside. Notes could wait for rainy days; today was a day for outdoors and his girls.

As he made his way through the back garden to the fence that separated their formal property from the field behind their house, he heard Annie call for him.

"Daddy! Daddy! Come play, Daddy!"

"I'm coming love; hold on," he called back.

Annie ran toward her father, flinging herself at his legs. "Daddy, Mummy won't teach me how to skip! She said to ask you."

"She did, did she?" he inquired as he scooped the girl into his arms and buried his large nose into her hair. Even after playing outdoors all day, she always smelled perfect; that was the only way he could describe it. If he could recreate the smell and bottle it, he would have done it. Severus was a fool when it came to his daughter, but 'skipping with her' was just about the only thing he wouldn't do.

"Mummy said that she can't skip right now with my baby brother inside her!" the little girl said indignantly while crossing fat arms over her pinafore.

"Well, that's true," Severus replied, kissing her cheek. "You brother is making it difficult for her to move around like she used to."

By this time, Hermione had waddled up to the pair, her hand at her back, the other rubbing her belly. "Yes, baby brother is making it quite difficult for mummy today. In fact, I think brother may be making his debut sooner than we expected."

Severus nearly dropped Annie when he whirled around to look at Hermione. "What do you mean?" his voice laced with concern.

"I mean that it's time to take Annie to my mum's and head to St. Mungo's."

"But it's too soon," Severus panicked. "He's not supposed to come for another three weeks!"

Hermione laughed. "Well, tell that to him; he's like his mother already—impatient!"

As Hermione lay panting between contractions, Severus held her hand, wondering about how much his life was about to change…again.

There were several pivotal moments that changed the course of his life that he could recall with clarity; the day he had chosen to become a Death Eater, the day he had told The Dark Lord the prophecy, the day Lily had died, the day _he_ nearly died, and the day he had literally fallen over Hermione in the Entrance Hall. He could hardly believe that he was here now, helping her bring their second child into the world. He let his mind drift to that moment in time when it had all changed.

He had been storming through the halls, furious that Minerva had tagged him for not one, but _three_ turns at being a chaperone for the Hogsmeade trips this year. 'You've nothing else to do', she had said. Never mind that he was still recovering from his war injuries or that not all the shopkeepers in Hogsmeade appreciated his murky-at-best role in the war and were vocally and physically adept at showing him just how little they appreciated it.

He turned a corner and suddenly felt a soft body slam into his and down the pair went, landing in a heap with him on top. Words burst from his lips, none of them pleasant. "You idiot! Why don't you watch where you're going? Surely you should have accomplished the most basic of walking skills by now!"

"Gerroff!" a small voice gasped. "Can't brev!"

Severus stopped his diatribe and pulled himself up. "Miss Granger?" He began to stand, but not before realising how perfectly they fit together. "What are you doing here? School has not started yet."

"I know," she said adjusting her clothes as she stood, too.

Severus noticed how nicely she filled out her Muggle attire before asking, "So what are you doing here?"

"I have an appointment with Minerva. I am going to apprentice in Charms this year." Her smile was wide with excitement.

"You need your NEWTs for an apprenticeship; I don't recall seeing your name on the incoming NEWT class this year."

"That's because I've already taken them; Minerva arranged for me to take them last month."

"I see. Well then, carry on. Good day." And that was really the last interaction they had until the Hogsmeade weekend right before Christmas. He had been on patrol when a student came rushing toward him.

"Professor, Professor; there's been an accident. Miss Granger is hurt!"

"Show me," he demanded. The pair rushed down the street where a crowd stood in the middle of the road. "Move aside," Severus ordered. "What's going on?"

Hermione sat on a puddle of ice, crying, and holding her arm close to her body.

"Miss Granger, are you all right?"

"Does it look like I am all right?" she snapped, wincing with pain.

"Of course not. Stupid question; please forgive me. What happened?"

"I was coming from the book shop and didn't see the ice," she whimpered

"From the pile of books I see, I can't imagine why you didn't," he sneered.

"Admonish me later, Professor; my arm fecking hurts. I think it's broken."

"Language, Miss. Granger. Come; I'll take you back to the castle. You'll need some Skele-Gro."

"Ugh, must I? Can't we do it the Muggle way? "

"And have your wand arm in a plaster cast for weeks on end? I doubt your patience could stand it…nor could the rest of the castle in the wake of your anger as a result! "

"Professor Snape," she said indignantly, grimacing.

"Let's go," he said. "I can see you're in quite a bit of pain."

It was a long night for Hermione, but Severus stayed with her. He knew that bone regrowth could be painful, and she was grateful for the company. They spent quite a bit of the night talking, and when she finally fell asleep, he left the hospital wing for his own quarters. He had a lot to think about. Hermione had been amazing in the war, and he admired her for that, but talking to her this evening brought a whole new level of understanding about the witch.

That night turned into several more like it. He invited her to his rooms to show her some of the research he'd been doing and offered suggestions to help with her first year final Charms project. They researched together as well, as their respective fields complimented each other. They naturally fell into having dinner together where they talked about the war, their childhoods and what they hoped for the future. These wonderful evenings and weekend afternoons spent in research and talking carried them through the winter months and into early spring, and progressed naturally into the most spectacular sex Severus had had in his life. Not because it was acrobatic, overly orgasmic, or even nasty and dirty, but because he was finally in love with someone and _that_ is what made is spectacular. Nasty, dirty, acrobatic and overly orgasmic came later on.

Two years later, she'd finished her apprenticeship and on the evening of her graduation, Severus, in a totally impulsive move, Apparated the pair of them to Gretna Green where they married. Every day had been more joyful than the rest. He truly felt loved and wanted; his heart finally sang.

"Oh, Severus I feel his head!"

That cry brought him back to his present. He leant forward to see over the hard bulge of her belly that contracted upward in an effort to push their son into the world. "His head is crowning, love; you can do it!"

"Push," the mediwitch between her legs ordered. "Push, Hermione," she repeated more encouragingly. "Here comes his nose—oh my, it's daddy's nose—hold on; cord is around his neck. Okay, push again, love; there we go…shoulders…and whoopsedaisy! Here we go. Oh, listen to those lungs!"

A furious scream filled the room as Hermione and Severus laughed and reached for the little bundle being handed to them. "Here you go," the mediwitch said. "A lovely boy!"

"Oh, Severus," said Hermione, pulling the blankets hastily wrapped around their son away so they could see him. "He's so perfect! What shall we name him?"

"Well, Annie was partial to Egbert," he said.

"I think not," Hermione said. "What about Severus?"

"It's such an old fashioned name," Severus said, "and not all the particularly well-thought of. What about your father's name?"

"David? Perhaps. What was your grandfather's name; your mum's dad?"

"Mother said his name was Pertinax."

"You're kidding," she gasped.

"No," Severus said, laughing, reaching for his son and cradling him between his knees. He ran a finger down his cheek, and the boy automatically turned, rooting for what he thought was a nipple.

"There's my boy." Severus smiled as he held the bundle. He could not begin to describe the contentment and fulfilment he felt. A wife, a daughter, and now a son. He could feel his facial muscles straining from the smile he wore. His unnamed son yawned, causing Hermione to giggle. Severus continued, "The Prince family can trace its roots all the way back to the Roman Emperor's. I've a whole slew of family members with unpronounceable names. Why don't we just go with David? Perhaps Prince as his middle name or even your mum's maiden name?"

"David Prince is fine with me," Hermione yawned. "I'm so tired. Let's call for the Healer to take the baby and clean him up. You must go ring my parents and anyone you want to know. I love you Severus."

Severus leant over and kissed his wife. "I love you, Hermione. You can't even begin to know the pleasure you have brought me."

"Now Annie, watch again; do what I do," Severus instructed. "Lift your leg up like so; no just a little higher. There you go. Now, hop forward like this." Severus hopped forward and as he did, a giggle from his left caused him to lose his focus.

"Hermione!"

"Oh, Severus," she said, adjusting David on her breast, "I can't help it. The thought of the big scary Potions master teaching a little girl to skip is just, just…" By now, Hermione was crying with laughter. Severus sent a weak Stinging Hex at her.

"Hey, that's not nice!"

"Neither is laughing at your husband when he is doing something very, very important," he answered imperiously.

"If you say so, love, if you say so," she said, giggling like mad.

At that, he picked Annie up and carried her to the blanket Hermione was sitting on. "I do say so," he replied and lay back on the blanket and closed his eyes.

"Tired, Sev?" asked Hermione.

"No." He turned his head to look at Hermione. "No. Just thankful." He reached out and tugged Annie's hair and smoothed a hand over David's round, bald head. He squeezed Hermione's knee. "I have everything in the world now. I could ask for no more. If I died tomorrow, I know that I would cross the veil having known love, joy, pleasure…all of it. I love you Hermione. I love the children you've given me. I love my life!"

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I wish to thank MyDearProfessorMcGonagall for pinch hitting as beta for this week. Her help and insight and ideas were key to this story's final version. I am grateful! Mellifluous Aria, who betas for me during this competition, is madly studying for finals, I didn't want her to have yet another thing to do. GOOD LUCK, Aria!


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